Blog for "the-enabler" of the letsnet.org network

---

After a grueling seven days in which two viruses exploited vulnerabilities in the Internet Explorer browser, and the federal government, no less, warned users away from IE -- Microsoft has responded with software updates.

The rest of the story

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

A router will not help here as the sitting in your IE browser say OK world you can do this to me. OPera.com is one of those OTHER browsers I've told ya about. And Mozilla also has the Mozilla browser if you want to do more then just browse. Look around, but it your going to try "your first other browser, I'd say try "Firefox first", it most like M/S IE any way.

By Mike Musgrove, Washington Post Staff Writer

Microsoft Corp. released a free software update yesterday to close vulnerabilities that left users of its Internet Explorer browser open to attacks by hackers.

The security breach, discovered last week, made it possible for users of Microsoft's ubiquitous Web browser to have their passwords and private account information stolen when they logged on to banking sites.

Microsoft's update turns off a function within the Windows operating system instead of repairing the flaw in that function.
Brake
You can do this for yourself in your own browser. click on "tools" at the top of your browser window, it's in between Favorites and Help. then click on "Internet Options", then the "Security" tab and in the lower center of that window click on "Custom Level" botton. YOur now in the Security Settings of your Microsoft Internet Explorer(IE) browser. Scroll down to where you'll see "ActiveX controls and plug-ins". The first option is for "Download signed ActioveX controls" click in the PROMT circle. Next is the "Download unsigned ActioveX Controls", that should be "Disabled", next is Initialize... Disable, Run ActiveXControls, "Enable", and last Script ActiveX should be "Enable". This is how it would look in XP.
End of Brake
Stephen Toulouse, security program manager in Microsoft's Security Response Center, said the company is working on a patch to fix that vulnerability.

Yesterday's update, available at www.microsoft.com/downloadject, turns off the "Adodb.stream" function, part of an Internet Explorer technology called ActiveX, which lets Web sites put files onto users' hard drives. (There is no such function in a version of Internet Explorer that Microsoft shipped for the Mac operating system; that and other non-Windows platforms have not been affected by this issue.)

Toulouse said corporate users of the Microsoft browser may lose some capabilities as a result of the temporary fix. But, he said, "if you're a consumer visiting Web sites, there should be little to no impact at all."

Computer safety sometimes works at odds with convenience or ease of use. While some security experts recommended using Internet Explorer with the browser's security setting switched to "high," that setting leaves many Web sites unreadable or unusable.

In the attacks last week, a virus was programmed to record users' keystrokes at any of 50 banking sites and relay that data to a site in Russia. It was hidden in files that were parked on hacked Web sites for users to download in their usual browsing. That plan was interrupted when Internet providers blocked traffic to the Russian site, but its ambition led some security advisers to recommend dumping Internet Explorer in favor of other browsers.

That too, can be a problem, however. The Web wasn't created for any one browser, but the dominance of Internet Explorer -- about 95 percent of the market, according WebSideStory Inc. -- has led some Web designers to build sites work well only in Explorer, or that even shut out other browsers.

Bill Leary, a software engineer in Hopkinton, Mass., has used the Opera browser for years, but sometimes must use IE to log into some banking or e-commerce sites -- the exact category targeted in the recent hacking campaign.

"This drives me nuts, because I want to use something that I know is safer," he said. "It's the sites I most don't want to use it for that I most have to."

It's too early to tell if Microsoft's latest security problems will reduce its share of the browser market.

Chris Hofmann, engineering director at the Mozilla Foundation, a group developing a family of Web browsers, e-mail programs and other Internet software, said downloads of its latest browser, Mozilla Firefox, doubled this week to about 200,000 a day. Hofmann said the organization sees a spike in downloads whenever a virus or worm exploits Windows vulnerabilities.

Security-software developers report increased sales. NPD Group Inc., a market-research firm, reported that half of the top 10 selling software titles in the third week of June (the latest period for which it has data) were security products.

Cleveland Park resident Susanna Beiser went to her local Best Buy early this week to pick up a copy of McAfee Inc.'s firewall software, an application designed to control the data going to and from a personal computer, after reading recent reports about Internet-related threats.

"In the past, I thought I was okay if I just scanned for viruses," she said, "but these new kinds of attacks seemed like they required more protection."

Beiser said she was amazed at the number of intrusion attempts her new software has detected so far, with break-in efforts coming from as far away as Italy and Hong Kong.



Though new viruses and attacks may be fueling these new sales, a report from Cupertino, Calif., security developer Symantec Corp. yesterday showed how long older viruses can stay in circulation -- and therefore, how many users have yet to patch their computers.

Symantec found that its corporate customers are still being hit with viruses and worms such as Slammer, Blaster and Code Red -- the oldest of which first appeared in July 2001.

"We're surprised to see them still out there," said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager at Symantec Security Response. "There are enough new unpatched systems being added to the Internet to keep these things alive."

And enough new threats to keep computer security professionals like Friedrichs busy: Computer security firm McAfee yesterday began alerting its users about a new virus called Lovgate. Then again, it wasn't quite new; yesterday's debut was the 30th mutation of this bug.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

Jason Lopez, www.enterprise-windows-it.com

It has not been a good week for Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. After last week's Download.JECT virus, which used IE as a vehicle for installing a worm, and a vulnerability report from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, some industry experts have called for a switch to other browsers, such as Mozilla or Opera.

Ironically, during the same week Microsoft finally put to rest its long-running court battle with the U.S. government over the company's business practices -- specifically, weaving Internet Explorer into the fabric of the Windows operating system. A District of Columbia appeals court affirmed a lower court ruling that Microsoft would not have to make IE a separate software program.

Own Worst Enemy

But the fact that IE is bundled into Windows rather than being marketed on its own has allowed the browser to languish without material security updates for almost four years. "There hasn't been any competition, so there hasn't been a reason to improve it," said Gartner analyst John Pescatore.

But there is a deeper reason that Microsoft has not beefed up the security of its browser: It is woven into Windows. "To change the browser, you have to change the operating system," Pescatore told NewsFactor. "It's a bad idea to integrate applications into an operating system."

Linux in the Wings?

Microsoft was caught off guard with the Download.JECT virus, because the worm was written independent of Microsoft's announcement of a vulnerability in IE -- many worms are written after the company identifies weaknesses in its products and offers patches. Microsoft has yet to offer a patch for the IE problem -- hence, the calls by some industry experts for a switch to an alternate technology.

It may be feasible for consumers to switch to a Mozilla or Opera Web browser. But experts say the enterprise (your bank, etc...) has few alternatives.

"Mozilla has been shaky in the past, although the new versions have been pretty good," noted Pescatore. "But you don't have any grand assurance that a company like IBM or Red Hat is behind the browser," he said.

Security problems in Windows, such as the Explorer vulnerability, are causing more enterprises to look at the Linux desktop, says Pescatore. "But I don't think it's making any businesses just drop Windows at this point."
END

So, if you're now sold on using a differant browser, I guess I should start talking to you about using a differant "Oerating System". Linux for enterprises or lindows for you and I. Do so of your own homework if you want. And maybe you'll be sold on makeing your next "new Box" a lindows box. And they're cheeper too as the Operting System doesn't cost as much as Windows. GEE!



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

He is on the radio now in alot of ways, over the net for most, anyway, he on the Bill Handel show on www.kfi640.com on Friday mornings at 8:35, yes, 8:35AM pacific coast time. He's only on as a guest for 15 mins. or so. He has his own shows on kfi640 on Sat. and Sun. afternoons from 1 to 3 Pacific, anyway, this morning he was talking about spam and why spam keeps coming to us. Well, it your fault. Why is it our fault, because we keep clicking on it. The responce rate on Spam Email per it's own industry watch dogs is 20%. Junk mail is 3%.


Damn it, DON'T CLICK ON THAT STUFF. IF you interested in the subject, go do a search.

It's like Viruses, those people who don't keep their Anti-Virus software up to date and are letting though the viruses that GET to you & I.


MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

Phoning home via Internet
- David Einstein
Monday, June 28, 2004 SFGate.com


Q: Our daughter will be studying in Italy starting in the fall, and I'm not looking forward to the long-distance phone charges we'll probably be racking up. I've heard that Internet phones are getting better. Do you think that might be an option for us?

A: Internet telephone services have begun to get good enough and certainly inexpensive enough to rival traditional long-distance. Most services require you to have a high-speed Internet connection. You also need an adapter (you get it from the service provider) that sits between your regular phone and your DSL or Internet cable router. With it, you can calls any phone anywhere, including Italy, at attractive rates (rate plans are along the lines of cell phone plans, meaning the more you pay, the more you can talk). Plans start at less than $20 a month.

Internet phone services include Vonage (www.vonage.com), Broadvox (www.broadvoxdirect.com), Packet8 (www.packet8.com) and iConnectHere (www.iconnecthere.com). Even AT&T is getting into the act with its Call Vantage service (www.usa.att.com/callvantage/action/smp).

If your daughter will have a computer and Internet connection, you might also want to try a free PC-to-PC phone service such as Skype (www.skype.com). All you need for that is a headset with a microphone. But it's not good for spontaneous calls because both parties must be online at the same time.

Q: Somehow, a program called Lycos Sidesearch has invaded my computer. When I'm searching on Google, it sometimes pops up out of nowhere, commandeering the left side of the screen. The idea seems to be to give me more opportunities to search for stuff, but Google alone satisfies my needs. How can I rid myself of this interloper?

A: Lycos Sidesearch is an insidious and annoying program that installs itself. Fortunately, it's easy to dump. Just go to the Windows Control Panel from your Start menu, double-click Add or Remove Programs, find the listing for Sidesearch and delete it. If that doesn't work, download and use Ad-aware, a free program that can find and remove all sorts of hijacking programs, spyware and other junk. It's free at www.lavasoftusa.com.

Q: There are several folders on my PC that I would like to keep private. Is there a way to password-protect an entire folder and all of the documents in it?

A: The easiest way to make an entire folder private is to use software such as Hide Folders or Folder Lock. These programs hide folders from view so that they can't be found, and they require a password to unhide the folders. They work quickly because they use simple passwords rather than cumbersome encryption. Hide Folders is $24.95 at www.fspro.net. Folder Lock, which lets you hide individual files as well as folders, is $25 at www.newsoftwares.net.



Tired of pop-up ads? Try Mozilla's Firefox, a nifty browser you can download free at www.mozilla.org. It's a fast, smooth-running alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer that blocks pop-ups, keeps spyware out of your computer and manages downloads for you. Not too shabby.




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

The Subject of this BAD EMail is "Happy Fourth of July" Dont Don't Don't open it!!!

IT WELL CONNECT YOU TO A PHP SCRIP SERVER OUT THERE THAT WELL DOWNLOAD TONS OF FILES TO YOUR(WINDOW'S COMPUTER ONLY, AGAIN) HARD DRIVE.

STEELHOOF is working with a Microsoft Security Engineer on it. He'll pass on info as he get it.

You'll know if you've been hit by it because you will see a beautiful image of an eagle and fireworks exploding
Good luck out there.

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

---

JS.Scob.Trojan, a new menace that appears to be yet another that exploits the holes discussed in Microsoft's MS04-011 security bulletin. Unlike the Sasser and Korgo worms, which directly affect end-user machines, this compromises and uses Web servers to perform attacks.

Korgo, one of the worms exploiting the LSSAS vulnerability, is still proliferating, and antivirus vendors are tracking more varieties. The latest one, as of Sunday, June 27, is w32/Korgo.U, reported by Trend Micro. Luckily, none of the varieties since the June 1 Korgo.F have had much impact.

Virus hoaxes, official-sounding e-mail warnings that urge readers to perform some action immediately and to forward the message to all their friends as a "helpful service," still abound. Unfortunately, these ruses waste time and sometimes cause victims to compromise their computers by deleting files.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

An article from PC Magazine has been sent to you. Follow this link to view the article: Pushing The Limits

Copyright (c) 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.

News that a colleague's baby has taken some first tentative steps usually merits little more than polite congratulations or an obligatory glance at some e-mailed images. When Nadrian ("Ned") C. Seeman and William B. Sherman of New York University recently made such an announcement, however, it earned coverage in several scientific journals.

The attention had to do with the new walker's size, which is very small for its age—or any age. A pair of legs and feet constructed from DNA strands, the walker stands just 10 nanometers tall—or roughly 1/25,000 the diameter of the period that concludes this sentence. Seeman says the walker's stroll along a DNA sidewalk is "a natural outgrowth of work that's been done before."

Go ahead click on the link above for the hold story

---

http://security.yahoo.com/

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".